JP2014232220A - Communication karaoke system with feature in communication mode upon communication duet - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication karaoke system capable of starting duet singing at appropriate timing in at least one place even if a state change has occurred on a transmission path.SOLUTION: A mixed sound signal in which a master side singing signal generated by a master side singing microphone 24A and a performance sound signal generated for karaoke performance are mixed is transmitted via a first exclusive transmission path 4B. A slave side karaoke room RM (slave) reproduces a master side singing sound corresponding to the master side singing signal and a karaoke performance sound corresponding to the performance sound signal on the basis of the received mixed sound signal. In addition, the slave side karaoke room RM transmits a slave side singing signal generated by a slave side singing microphone 24B via the first exclusive transmission path 4B. A master side karaoke room RM (master) reproduces a slave side singing sound, the master side singing sound, and the karaoke performance sound on the basis of the received slave side singing signal, the master side singing signal, and the performance sound signal.

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication karaoke system in which bases are communicably connected to each other via a transmission line, and a communication duet is performed between the bases, and particularly relates to a communication karaoke system characterized by a communication method.

  A communication karaoke system is known in which bases are communicably connected via a transmission line and a communication duet is performed between the bases. For example, in the communication karaoke system described in Patent Document 1, after performing synchronization processing between the communication karaoke system at point A and the communication karaoke system at point B, guide data is transmitted to each other, and the received guide data is converted into the received guide data. Based on this, the same guide data is reproduced simultaneously. That is, in this communication karaoke system, the reproduction of karaoke music is started simultaneously in each karaoke system.

JP 2010-112981 A

  However, the state of the transmission path is not always constant, and the processing load in each communication karaoke system is not always the same. For this reason, in the above-mentioned communication karaoke system, the reproduction timings of the guide data are not always aligned with each other, and simultaneous reproduction is not guaranteed. In this case, it becomes difficult to fully enjoy the duet singing.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is an online karaoke which can start a duet singing at an appropriate timing in at least one base even if a state change occurs in the transmission line. To provide a system.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a communication that connects a first base and a second base via a transmission line so that communication is possible, and performs a communication duet between the first base and the second base. A karaoke system, wherein a mixed sound signal obtained by mixing a first singing signal generated by a first singing microphone at the first base and a performance sound signal generated for karaoke performance is transmitted via the transmission path. Mixed sound signal transmitting means for transmitting to the second site, mixed sound signal receiving means for receiving the mixed sound signal at the second site, and mixed sound corresponding to the received mixed sound signal, Second playback means for playback at two locations, and at the second location, the second singing signal generated by the second singing microphone in accordance with the playback of the mixed sound is sent to the first location via the transmission path. Singing signal transmitting means for transmitting, and the second singing The singing signal receiving means for receiving the number at the first base, and the second singing sound corresponding to the second singing signal based on the received second singing signal, the first singing signal, and the performance sound signal. The first singing sound corresponding to the first singing signal and the first reproducing means for reproducing the karaoke performance sound corresponding to the performance sound signal at the first base.

  According to the present invention, the mixed sound signal is transmitted from the first site to the second site, and the mixed sound (first singing sound and karaoke performance sound) is reproduced at the second site based on the received mixed sound signal. Is done. At the second base, a duet song is performed in accordance with the reproduced mixed sound. In this way, since the mixed sound is reproduced based on the mixed sound signal at the second site, a duet song can be started at an appropriate start timing even if a state change occurs in the transmission path.

  In the communication karaoke system described above, installed at the second site, generates the second singing signal, stores lyric data and performance sound data of karaoke music, and in normal karaoke at the second site. Preferably, the communication duet is provided with a karaoke main body that controls the display of the lyrics data and the reproduction of the performance sound data, while performing the control of displaying the lyrics data and reproducing the performance sound data. . In this configuration, since the karaoke main body installed at the second base is operated to display the lyrics of the karaoke music, the start signal for instructing the start of karaoke is transmitted from the first base when the lyrics are displayed. It's enough. For this reason, the control burden on the first site side can be reduced.

  In the communication karaoke system described above, time code transmitting means for transmitting a time code indicating the progress of karaoke singing at the first site to the second site via the transmission path, and the time code being transmitted to the second site. It is preferable to include a time code receiving means for receiving and a lyrics display means for changing a display mode of lyrics based on the lyrics data according to the received time code. In this configuration, the display mode of the lyrics display on the second site side is changed according to the time code transmitted from the first site side. For this reason, the display mode of lyrics can be appropriately controlled without managing the progress of karaoke music on the second site side, and the hardware configuration at the second site can be simplified.

  In the above communication karaoke system, the system includes a delay time measuring means for measuring a delay time required for a round-trip communication between the first base and the second base, and the first reproduction means is within a range of the measured delay time. It is preferable to delay the reproduction of the first singing sound. In this structure, since the 1st song sound is also delayed according to the 2nd song sound reproduced with a delay at the 1st base, the gap of each song sound can be suppressed on hearing.

  In the above-mentioned communication karaoke system, it is preferable that the first singing signal is provided with a third reproducing unit that reproduces the first singing sound without delay based on the first singing signal. In this configuration, since the first singing sound of the first base is reproduced without delay, the singing can be performed without a sense of incongruity. Moreover, since the 1st song sound is delayed according to the 2nd song sound reproduced with a delay at the 1st base for those other than the singer of the 1st base, the gap of each song sound is changed. It can be suppressed for hearing.

  In the communication karaoke system described above, it is preferable that the first reproduction means gradually increases the delay width of the first singing sound from the start of utterance of the first singing sound. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the audible deviation of each singing sound with a natural feeling.

  In the communication karaoke system described above, a delay time measuring means for measuring a delay time required for reciprocal communication between the first base and the second base, and a reverberation component of the first singing signal are adjusted according to the delay time. And a reverberation component adding means having at least one of a second reverberation component adding means for adjusting a reverberation component of the second singing signal according to the delay time. In this structure, the shift | offset | difference in the auditory sense of each song sound can be suppressed by adding a 1st reverberation component and a 2nd reverberation component.

  In the communication karaoke system described above, the adjustment by the reverberation component adding means is performed by adjusting the initial reflection time of the reverberation component of the first singing signal to be longer than the initial reflection time of the reverberation component of the second singing signal; Adjustment for making the decay time of the reverberation component of the first song signal longer than the decay time of the reverberation component of the second song signal, and adjusting the volume level of the reverberation component of the first song signal of the reverberation component of the second song signal It is preferable to include at least one of adjustments that are greater than the volume level. In this configuration, it is possible to appropriately suppress the audible deviation of each singing sound.

  According to the communication karaoke system according to the present invention, even if a state change occurs in the transmission path, it is possible to start a duet singing at an appropriate timing in at least one base and to enjoy the singing in the other base without a sense of incongruity. .

It is a conceptual diagram explaining the schematic structure in the communication karaoke system of 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram explaining the structure of a host apparatus. It is a block diagram explaining the structure of a karaoke apparatus. It is a block diagram explaining the structure of a karaoke main body. It is a block diagram explaining the state where a pair of karaoke apparatus which performs a duet was connected via the transmission line. It is a block diagram explaining the flow of the various signals at the time of communication duet execution. It is a figure explaining the mode of each karaoke room at the time of a communication duet. It is a block diagram explaining the flow of the various signals in the parent | side karaoke apparatus in 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram explaining the schematic structure in the communication karaoke system of 3rd Embodiment.

  First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The communication karaoke system shown in FIG. 1 has a host device 1 and a karaoke device 2. And these are connected via the transmission line 4 so that communication is possible. The karaoke apparatus 2 is installed in each karaoke room RM of the karaoke store KB, for example. And when performing a duet song (henceforth a communication duet) through the transmission line 4, a pair of karaoke apparatuses 2 and 2 are mutually connected via the transmission line 4. FIG. Hereinafter, each device will be described.

  The host device 1 functions as a server and accumulates and manages various information such as customer information. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the host device 1 includes a host-side control unit 11, a host-side communication unit 12, and a host-side storage unit 13. The host-side control unit 11 is a central part of control in the host device 1 and includes a CPU 11a and a memory 11b. The CPU 11a executes various controls according to the operation program stored in the memory 11b. The memory 11b is a storage element that stores a program to be executed by the CPU 11a and temporarily stores various types of information when the program is executed. The host-side communication unit 12 provides an interface for connecting the host device 1 to the transmission path 4.

  The host-side storage unit 13 is a storage device that stores a large amount of information, and includes a hard disk drive or the like. A partial area of the host-side storage unit 13 is used as a customer information storage area in which personal information and history data of a user (singer) are stored. In the customer information storage area, data indicating personal information, store visit history, singing history, and the like are stored in a state associated with the user ID. The other area in the host-side storage unit 13 is used as a model information storage area. In the model information storage area, model information indicating the model of the karaoke apparatus 2 installed in each karaoke room RM is stored in a state associated with the store ID indicating the store.

  Next, the karaoke apparatus 2 will be described. The karaoke apparatus 2 performs karaoke performances and singing scores. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the karaoke main body 21, a speaker 22, a monitor 23, a singing microphone 24, a camera with a microphone 25, and a remote control device are provided. 26, a first communication terminal 27, a second communication terminal 28, and a power amplifier 29.

  The karaoke main body 21 is a part that performs various controls related to karaoke singing, such as performance control of selected karaoke music, display control of lyrics and background video, and processing of a singing voice signal generated by the singing microphone 24. The karaoke main body 21 will be described in detail later.

  The speaker 22 is connected to the karaoke main body 21 via the first communication terminal 27 and the power amplifier 29, and emits sound based on the sound emission signal amplified by the power amplifier 29. For example, in a normal karaoke song performed in each karaoke room RM, a singing signal generated by the singing microphone 24 and adjusted by the karaoke main body 21 and a performance sound signal generated by the karaoke main body 21 along with the karaoke performance are used. The mixed sound signal mixed in the karaoke main body 21 is input to the power amplifier 29 through the first communication terminal 27. For this reason, a singing sound and a karaoke performance sound are emitted from the speaker 22. In such a normal karaoke song, the mixed sound signal may be directly input to the power amplifier 29 without passing through the first communication terminal 27.

  In addition, in a communication duet performed by connecting two karaoke rooms RM (bases) so as to be able to communicate with each other through the transmission path 4, the parent generated by the singing microphone 24 on the parent side and adjusted by the karaoke main body 21 as described later. In addition to the mixed sound signal of the side singing signal (first singing signal) and the performance sound signal generated by the karaoke main body 21 along with the karaoke performance, the child singing signal (second singing signal generated by the child singing microphone 24) Singing signal) is input to the power amplifier 29 via the first communication terminal 27. For this reason, the parent singing sound, the child singing sound, and the karaoke performance sound are emitted from the speaker 22.

  The monitor 23 is connected to the karaoke main body 21 and displays video on the screen based on the video signal from the karaoke main body 21. For example, lyrics and background video in a karaoke song to be sung are displayed. In the communication duet, the room side video and the partner side video are displayed together with the lyrics telop. The singing microphone 24 is also connected to the karaoke main body 21, and the singer's voice or the like is converted into a singing signal and input to the karaoke main body 21.

  The microphone-equipped camera 25 generates a video signal by photographing its own room. The generated video signal is input to the second communication terminal 28 and output to the karaoke main body 21 or transmitted to the other party via the transmission path 4. In this communication karaoke system, the microphone included in the camera with microphone 25 is disabled, and only the video signal is handled.

  The remote control device 26 includes a short-range wireless communication unit capable of bidirectional communication for transmitting and receiving information to and from the karaoke main body 21 and is operated when a karaoke song is reserved. When reserving karaoke music, the remote control device 26 transmits an operation signal including a music ID for identifying the music to be played.

  The remote control device 26 of the present embodiment also functions as a start signal transmission unit that transmits a start signal in a communication duet. Although details will be described later, in this communication karaoke system, when performing a communication duet, the karaoke device 2 installed in the parent karaoke room RM functions as a parent device, and the karaoke device installed in the child karaoke room RM. 2 functions as a slave unit. Then, a start signal from the remote control device 26 of the parent-side karaoke device 2 is transmitted to each of the parent-side karaoke main body 21 and the child-side karaoke main body 21. In this case, a start signal is directly input to the karaoke main body 21 on the parent side, and the start signal is sent to the neighboring router device RT and the transmission path 4 (general-purpose transmission path 4A) to the karaoke main body 21 on the child side. Sent through.

  The first communication terminal 27 is interposed between the karaoke main body 21 and the power amplifier 29 and handles various signals related to sound. For example, in normal karaoke singing, the first communication terminal 27 adjusts the input volume of the mixed sound signal obtained by mixing the singing signal and the performance sound signal directly input from the karaoke main body 21 and adjusts the output volume to the power amplifier 29. To do. Moreover, in the communication duet song, the 1st communication terminal 27 adjusts the input balance of the signal (partner side song signal) input through the transmission line 4 and the mixed sound signal produced | generated by the karaoke song in the own room side. The output volume for the power amplifier 29 is adjusted.

  The second communication terminal 28 is interposed between the karaoke main body 21 and the microphone-equipped camera 25, handles various signals related to video, and is configured by a set top box, for example. For example, in the communication duet singing, the second communication terminal 28 synthesizes the video signal of the own room generated by the camera 25 with the microphone and the video signal of the other party input through the transmission path 4 into the karaoke main body 21. Output. The karaoke main body 21 outputs the combined video signal input from the second communication terminal 28 to the monitor 23. Thereby, the own room side video and the other party side video are displayed on the monitor 23.

  The first communication terminal 27 and the second communication terminal 28 are communicably connected to the counterpart first communication terminal 27 and the second communication terminal 28 via the transmission path 4 when a communication duet is performed. . The karaoke main body 21 is also communicably connected to the counterpart karaoke main body 21 via the transmission path 4. Furthermore, the karaoke main body 21 is communicably connected to the host device 1 via the transmission path 4 during a period when no communication duet is performed.

  For this reason, the karaoke main body 21, the first communication terminal 27, and the second communication terminal 28 are all connected to the router device RT. By this router device RT, the karaoke main body 21 is connected to the general-purpose transmission path 4A, the first communication terminal 27 is connected to the first dedicated transmission path 4B, and the second communication terminal 28 is connected to the second dedicated transmission path 4C. .

  Here, the general-purpose transmission line 4A is a general-purpose transmission line such as an Internet line or a wireless LAN. The first dedicated transmission path 4B and the second dedicated transmission path 4C are dedicated lines whose quality is controlled so as to obtain a prescribed communication speed. In the present embodiment, a videophone transmission path is used as the second dedicated transmission path 4C. For this reason, a telephone number is assigned to each of the plurality of second communication terminals 28, and the pair of second communication terminals 28, 28 are connected to the router device RT and the second dedicated transmission path 4 </ b> C by placing the call state. It is connected so that communication is possible. The first dedicated transmission path 4B is a dedicated transmission path capable of higher quality communication than the second dedicated transmission path 4C, such as a next-generation network. A telephone number is also assigned to each first communication terminal 27, and a pair of first communication terminals 27 and 27 are communicably connected via the router device RT and the first dedicated transmission path 4B by making a call state. Is done.

  The general-purpose transmission line 4 </ b> A is used when a communication duet start signal is transmitted to another karaoke main body 21. The general-purpose transmission line 4 </ b> A is also used when transmitting public singing moving image data generated by karaoke singing to the host device 1 or when transferring update data from the host device 1 to the karaoke main body 21. The And the 1st exclusive use transmission line 4B is used when transmitting / receiving a song signal and a performance sound signal, when performing a communication duet song. The second dedicated transmission line 4C is used when transmitting / receiving a video signal generated by the camera with microphone 25 when performing a communication duet song.

  Next, the karaoke main body 21 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 4, the karaoke main body 21 includes a main body side control unit 31, a main body side communication unit 32, a main body side storage unit 33, a sound source unit 34, an acoustic processing unit 35, a display processing unit 36, A video input unit 37 and an operation unit 38 are provided. These units are connected to a communicable state via the bus BS.

  The main body side control unit 31 is a central part of control in the karaoke main body 21, and includes a CPU 31a and a memory 31b. The CPU 31a executes various controls according to the operation program stored in the memory 31b. For example, an operation input process for receiving an operation from the operation unit 38 or a sequencer process that operates as a sequencer is performed. The memory 31b is a storage element that stores a program to be executed by the CPU 31a and temporarily stores various types of information when the program is executed.

  The main body side communication unit 32 provides an interface for connecting the karaoke main body 21 to the general-purpose transmission line 4A via the router device RT. Therefore, the main body side communication unit 32 transmits and receives information to and from the router device RT. The operation of the main body side communication unit 32 is controlled by the main body side control unit 31.

  The main body side storage unit 33 is a large-capacity storage device that stores various types of data, and includes, for example, a hard disk drive. In the main body side storage unit 33, for example, a music data storage area and a background video data storage area are provided. The music data storage area stores music data for playing the karaoke music selected by the remote control device 26, and the background video data storage area stores background video data for displaying the background video on the monitor 23. Is done.

  The music data includes MIDI data and lyrics data. MIDI data is music performance information (performance data) by an electronic musical instrument, and is composed of time-series note information. The note information is composed of various commands for controlling, for example, the timing of sound generation and mute, key pressing force, volume, sound quality, pitch, and the like. The lyrics data is data for displaying the lyrics telop in the karaoke music on the monitor 23. These MIDI data and lyric data are stored in a state in which each karaoke piece that can be played by the karaoke apparatus 2 is associated with the song ID.

  The tone generator 34 is a part that generates a performance sound signal based on MIDI data, and includes a CPU 34a, a memory 34b, and a waveform memory 34c. The CPU 34a executes various controls according to the operation program stored in the memory 34b. The memory 34b is a storage element that stores a program to be executed by the CPU 34a and temporarily stores various types of information when the program is executed. The waveform memory 34c is a storage element that stores waveform data of various sounds played by the target musical instrument in a readable manner.

  When the main body side control unit 31 performs sequencer processing, the sound source unit 34 processes waveform data according to MIDI data and outputs the processed musical sound signal to the acoustic processing unit 35. Here, the sequencer processing will be briefly described. When the order of performance for a certain karaoke piece arrives, sequencer processing is started. First, the main body control unit 31 reads out the MIDI data and the lyrics data stored in the music data storage area and stores them in the memory 31b. Then, the main body side control unit 31 outputs a MIDI message to the sound source unit 34 in accordance with a time code (information indicating the progress of karaoke singing) included in the MIDI data. The sound source unit 34 performs an operation according to the input MIDI message. For example, if the MIDI message is a command to play a predetermined sound, the sound source unit 34 reads the corresponding waveform data from the waveform memory 34c, performs processing according to the MIDI message, and outputs the processed signal as a musical sound signal to the sound processing unit 35. . If the MIDI message is a command to stop sound, the sound source unit 34 stops outputting the musical sound signal to the sound processing unit 35.

  The acoustic processing unit 35 is a part that performs performance control of karaoke music, processing of the singing signal generated by the singing microphone 24, and processing of the singing signal input through the first communication terminal 27. For example, in the performance control of karaoke music, the sound processing unit 35 converts the musical sound signal output from the sound source unit 34 into an analog signal and outputs it to the first communication terminal 27 as a performance sound signal. When a singing signal from the singing microphone 24 is input, the singing signal is output to the first communication terminal 27 or converted into digital data and stored in the main body storage unit 33. And when outputting a singing signal to the 1st communication terminal 27, the acoustic process part 35 adds a reverberation component (echo component) to a singing signal, or mixes (mixes) a singing signal and a performance sound signal, and mixed sound Or generate a signal. The reverberation component is added in accordance with a control signal from the main body side control unit 31. In this case, the main body side control unit 31 sets the intensity and length of the reverberation component according to operation information from the remote control device 26 and the operation unit 38.

  The display processing unit 36 performs control such as display of a background video during karaoke performance. At the time of karaoke performance, background video data is input to the display processing unit 36, and the background video data is decoded. Then, the display processing unit 36 combines the lyrics telop with the video signal of the background video generated by the decoding, and outputs the combined video signal to the monitor 23. At that time, the display processing unit 36 synthesizes the lyrics telop based on the lyrics data output by the sequencer processing in the main body side control unit 31. Further, the display color of the lyrics telop is changed according to the color change command output by the sequencer processing. As a result, the monitor 23 displays a video in which the lyrics telop is superimposed on the background video, and the display color of the lyrics telop is changed according to the progress of the karaoke music.

  The video input unit 37 is a part that captures a video signal from the second communication terminal 28, and is configured by, for example, an interface circuit. During the communication duet, the second communication terminal 28 outputs a video signal of a composite video in which the room-side video and the partner video are combined. Then, the video input unit 37 outputs the video signal of the composite video to the display processing unit 36. Accordingly, the display processing unit 36 outputs the combined video signal to the monitor 23, and the monitor 23 displays the combined video.

  The operation unit 38 includes a panel switch, a remote control receiving circuit, and the like, and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the operation of the panel switch and the remote control device 26 by the user to the main body side control unit 31. The main body side control unit 31 detects an operation signal by performing an operation input process, and executes a corresponding process. Note that the panel switch and the remote control device 26 include various key switches (not shown) for selecting an operation. A normal karaoke song or communication duet can be selected and executed by an operation through the remote control device 26.

  Next, the operation of the communication karaoke system having the above configuration will be described. This karaoke system is characterized by communication duet processing. For this reason, the description will focus on the operation of the communication duet.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a state in which a pair of karaoke apparatuses 2 that perform communication duets are connected via a transmission path 4 (4A to 4C), that is, a communication karaoke system. At the time of execution of the communication duet, one karaoke device 2 becomes a parent device, and the other karaoke device 2 becomes a child device. For convenience, in the following description, the karaoke device 2 serving as a parent device is referred to as a parent karaoke device 2A, and the karaoke device 2 serving as a child device is referred to as a child karaoke device 2B. And each part with which the parent side karaoke apparatus 2A is provided is indicated with the word “parent side”, and each part with which the child side karaoke apparatus 2B is provided is indicated with the word “child side”.

  In FIG. 5, the parent-side karaoke device 2A (first karaoke device) is installed in the parent-side karaoke room RM (parent), and the child-side karaoke device 2B (second karaoke device) is installed in the child-side karaoke room RM (child). Has been. In this embodiment, the parent karaoke room RM (parent) corresponds to the first base, and the child karaoke room RM (child) corresponds to the second base.

  A parent router device RTA is installed in the parent karaoke room RM (parent), and a child router device RTB is installed in the child karaoke room RM (child). The parent side karaoke main body 21A and the child side karaoke main body 21B are communicably connected via a general-purpose transmission line 4A. Similarly, the parent first communication terminal 27A and the child first communication terminal 27B are communicably connected via the first dedicated transmission line 4B, and the parent second communication terminal 28A and the child second communication terminal 28B are The second dedicated transmission line 4C is communicably connected.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the flow of various signals during execution of a communication duet. Hereinafter, the processing at the time of executing the communication duet will be described with reference to this figure.

  When performing a communication duet, advance preparations such as the volume of each singing microphone 24A, 24B, the video check of the cameras 25A, 25B with microphones, and establishment of a communication connection between both bases are performed. With this pre-preparation, video signals photographed by the respective cameras with microphones 25A and 25B are exchanged via the second dedicated transmission path 4C. As a result, a composite video in which the parent video and the child video are combined is displayed on each of the parent monitor 23A and the child monitor 23B. Then, the singing signals of the parent side karaoke room RM (parent) and the child side karaoke room RM (child) are exchanged via the first dedicated transmission path 4B, and communication such as conversation between users at both bases is possible. It becomes possible. Further, the parent singing sound collected by the parent singing microphone 24A is emitted in the child karaoke room RM (child), and the child singing sound collected by the child singing microphone 24B is played by the parent karaoke room RM. (Parent) emits sound.

  When the start of a communication duet is instructed by the parent-side remote control device 26A, a start signal is transmitted to the parent-side karaoke main body 21A and the child-side karaoke main body 21B. Upon receipt of the start signal, sequencer processing is started in each of the parent side karaoke main body 21A and the child side karaoke main body 21B.

  Here, in the master side karaoke main body 21A, output processing of MIDI data and lyric data is performed according to the time code in the same manner as a normal karaoke performance. Also in the child side karaoke main body 21B, the output processing of MIDI data and lyrics data is performed according to the time code as in the normal karaoke performance, but the performance sound is muted. Thereby, in the parent side karaoke room RM (parent), the karaoke performance by the sound source unit 34 of the parent side karaoke main body 21A and the display of the lyrics telop are performed. On the other hand, in the child side karaoke room RM (child), the lyrics telop is displayed based on the lyrics data.

  In addition, when a communication duet is performed, in the parent side karaoke room RM (parent), the parent side singing signal (first singing signal) generated by the parent side singing microphone 24A (first singing microphone) and the karaoke performance are performed. The generated performance sound signal is mixed by the parent side karaoke main body 21A to generate a mixed sound signal.

  As described with reference to FIG. 4, when the main body side control unit 31 performs sequencer processing, MIDI data is read into the main body side control unit 31, and then a MIDI message is output to the sound source unit 34 according to the time code. The sound source unit 34 generates a musical sound signal based on the corresponding waveform data in accordance with the input MIDI message and outputs it to the sound processing unit 35. The sound processing unit 35 generates a performance sound signal based on the input musical sound signal. Then, the acoustic processing unit 35 (mixed sound signal generating means) generates a mixed sound signal by mixing the parent singing signal generated by the parent singing microphone 24A and the input performance sound signal. This mixed sound signal is a signal obtained by converting the karaoke performance sound and the parent-side singing sound in the parent-side karaoke room RM (parent) without shifting their time axes.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the generated mixed sound signal is output to the parent-side first communication terminal 27A. The parent-side first communication terminal 27A (mixed sound signal transmitting means) sends the input mixed sound signal to the child-side first communication terminal 27B (child side of the child-side karaoke room RM (child) via the first dedicated transmission path 4B. To the mixed sound signal receiving means).

  In the child side karaoke room RM (child), the child side singing signal (second singing signal) generated by the child side singing microphone 24B (second singing microphone) is transmitted to the child side first communication terminal 27B through the child side karaoke main body 21B. Is output. And the child side 1st communication terminal 27B adjusts the balance of the input child side song signal and the received mixed sound signal, and outputs it to the child side power amplifier 29B. The set of the child side power amplifier 29B and the child side speaker 22B (second reproduction means) emits sound according to the inputted child side singing signal and mixed sound signal. That is, the child-side power amplifier 29B amplifies the mixed sound signal and the child-side singing signal with an amplification factor corresponding to the volume, and outputs the amplified signal to the child-side speaker 22B. The child speaker 22B emits a karaoke performance sound, a parent song sound (first song sound), and a child song sound (second song sound).

  The child-side first communication terminal 27B (singing signal transmitting means) sends the input child-side singing signal to the parent-side first communication terminal of the parent-side karaoke room RM (parent) via the first dedicated transmission line 4B. It is transmitted to 27A (singing signal receiving means). The parent-side first communication terminal 27A adjusts the balance between the received child-side singing signal and the input mixed sound signal, and outputs the balance to the parent-side power amplifier 29A. A set (first reproduction means) of the parent-side power amplifier 29A and the parent-side speaker 22A emits sound according to the child-side singing signal and the mixed sound signal. That is, the power amplifier 29 amplifies the mixed sound signal and the child-side singing signal with an amplification factor corresponding to the volume, and outputs the amplified signal to the child-side speaker 22B. The child speaker 22B emits a karaoke performance sound, a parent song sound (first song sound), and a child song sound (second song sound).

  Thereby, as shown in FIG. 7, a communication duet can be realized between the parent side karaoke room RM (parent) and the child side karaoke room RM (child). For example, in the parent side karaoke room RM (parent), the video signals of the rooms generated by the microphone-equipped cameras 25A and 25B are combined by the parent side second communication terminal 28A and output to the parent side karaoke main body 21A. As a result, a composite video of the child video XB and the parent video XA is displayed on the parent monitor 23A. Similarly, in the child side karaoke room RM (child), the combined video signal is output from the child side second communication terminal 28B to the child side karaoke main body 21B, and the synthesized image is displayed on the child side monitor 23B.

  Since the karaoke performance sound is emitted from each of the parent speaker 22A and the child speaker 22B, the singers in the karaoke rooms RM (parent) and RM (child) sing along with the karaoke performance sound. be able to. Thereby, from each speaker 22A, 22B, in addition to a karaoke performance sound, the parent side singing sound and the child side singing sound are emitted.

  In this case, in the communication karaoke system according to the present embodiment, the mixed sound signal generated by the parent karaoke main body 21A is transmitted to the child karaoke room RM (child) via the first dedicated transmission path 4B. The And based on the received mixed sound signal, in the child side karaoke room RM (child), the parent side singing sound is emitted together with the karaoke performance sound. For this reason, the singer of child side karaoke room RM (child) will sing according to the karaoke performance sound and parent side song sound which were emitted.

  In general, in karaoke singing, singing is started after the performance of the intro part. For this reason, the singer of the child side karaoke room RM (child) recognizes the timing while listening to the intro part and starts singing. Here, since the karaoke performance sound emitted from the child side karaoke room RM (child) and the parent side singing sound are transmitted together by the mixed sound signal, a state change occurs in the first dedicated transmission path 4B. The time axis of both is not off. Therefore, the singer of the child side karaoke room RM (child) starts singing at the timing recognized in the intro part of the karaoke performance sound, so that the parent side singing sound at an appropriate timing (time axis aligned). Karaoke singing can be performed.

  In addition, the child side karaoke main body 21B in the present embodiment displays a lyrics telop based on the lyrics data on the child side monitor 23B in a normal karaoke song in the child side karaoke room RM (child), and karaoke based on the performance sound data. The performance sound is emitted from the child speaker 22B. On the other hand, in the communication duet, the lyrics telop based on the lyrics data is displayed on the child monitor 23B, but the karaoke performance sound based on the performance sound data is not muted and emitted.

  As described above, when the communication duet is executed, the child side karaoke room RM (child) operates the child side karaoke main body 21B to display the lyrics of the karaoke music piece. It is sufficient to transmit a start signal instructing the start of karaoke from the device 2A. For this reason, the control burden of parent side karaoke apparatus 2A can be reduced.

  Even if there is a difference in the playback pitch or overall playback time of the karaoke music due to the difference in model and version between the parent karaoke main body 21A and the child karaoke main body 21B, the communication karaoke system of this embodiment uses the parent karaoke system. Since the karaoke performance at each base is performed with the sound source of the main body 21A, variations among models can be ignored.

  By the way, in the first embodiment described above, a transmission delay due to the influence of the first dedicated transmission path 4B or the like may occur for the child-side singing signal transmitted from the child-side karaoke apparatus 2B to the parent-side karaoke apparatus 2A. For example, if a one-way 10 ms transmission delay occurs between the parent-side first communication terminal 27A and the child-side first communication terminal 27B, the round-trip transmission delay is 20 ms. For this reason, in the parent side karaoke room RM (parent), the delay of the child side singing sound is heard as a significant difference in audibility, particularly to the audience other than the singer of the parent side karaoke room RM (parent). . On the other hand, since the singer himself is devoted to singing, if his / her singing is released without delay, the transmission delay of the child side singing signal in the child side karaoke room RM (child) is not so much concerned.

  In view of such circumstances, the communication karaoke system of the second embodiment is characterized in that the delay of the child-side singing sound in the parent-side karaoke room RM (parent) is made inconspicuous. That is, for the audience, the master side singing sound subjected to delay processing is output, and the master side singing sound not subjected to delay processing is output to the singer, so that the child side singing in the parent side karaoke room RM (parent) is output. The sound delay is not noticeable.

  Hereinafter, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the basic configuration and basic operation of the online karaoke system are the same as those in the first embodiment. For this reason, a difference is mainly demonstrated.

  FIG. 8A is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the parent-side karaoke apparatus 2A. As shown in the figure, the parent-side karaoke apparatus 2A is different from the first embodiment in that a singer speaker 22 'is provided. This speaker 22 'for singers is, for example, a portable speaker with a built-in amplifier configured to be movable, and it is easy for a singer in the parent side karaoke room RM (parent) to hear the sound, and for the audience and others. The output is set so that it is difficult to hear the sound. The mixed sound signal is input to the singer's speaker 22 'through the parent-side first communication terminal 27A.

  In this embodiment, the main body side control unit 31 of the parent side karaoke main body 21A functions as a delay time measuring means in relation to the execution of the communication duet, and the parent side karaoke room RM (parent) and the child side karaoke room RM (child ) Measure the transmission delay time required for the round-trip communication with. For example, the main body side control unit 31 transmits a ping (confirmation signal) via the parent side first communication terminal 27A and waits for a reply from the child side first communication terminal 27B. Then, the transmission delay time required for the round-trip communication is measured based on the reception time of the reply.

  In this embodiment, the set of the main body side control unit 31, the parent side first communication terminal 27A, the parent side power amplifier 29A, and the parent side speaker 22A corresponds to the first reproduction means, and within the range of the measured delay time. Delay the playback of the parent song. The main body side control unit 31, the parent side first communication terminal 27A, and the speaker 22 'for singers correspond to the third reproducing means, and based on the parent side singing signal, the singer in the parent side karaoke room RM (parent). In contrast, the parent singing sound is reproduced without delay.

  That is, at the time of execution of the communication duet, the main body side control unit 31 outputs the mixed sound signal, the delayed singing signal, and the performance sound signal to the parent side first communication terminal 27A. Here, the delayed singing signal is a singing signal obtained by delaying the parent singing signal for a predetermined time. The delayed singing signal of this embodiment is generated by delaying the parent singing signal by ½ of the measured transmission delay time. If the measured transmission delay time is 20 ms, the delayed song signal is generated by delaying the parent song signal by 10 ms.

  The parent-side first communication terminal 27A outputs the mixed sound signal to the parent-side router device RTA (child-side first communication terminal 27B) and the singer's speaker 22 ', and receives the delayed singing signal, the performance sound signal, and The set of child-side singing signals is output to the parent-side power amplifier 29A. As a result, the karaoke performance sound, the parent singing sound delayed by 10 ms from the karaoke performance sound, and the child singing sound further delayed by 10 ms from the parent singing sound due to the transmission delay are released from the parent speaker 22A. Sounded.

  In this embodiment, since the delay time difference between the parent-side singing sound and the child-side singing sound is smaller than in the first embodiment described above, it is in the position of the audience other than the singer in the parent-side karaoke room RM (parent). Thus, the deviation between the parent-side singing sound and the child-side singing sound can be suppressed in the sense of hearing. Moreover, since the mixed sound which has not delayed the parent side singing sound is output to the speaker 22 'for singers, the singer of the parent side karaoke room RM (parent) has no delay in his own singing voice. You can listen in the state. Thereby, even if the own singing voice is reproduced with a delay from the parent speaker 22A, the singing can be performed without a sense of incongruity. In this embodiment, the mixed sound signal is output to the speaker 22 'for the singer, but only the parent-side singing signal without delay may be output instead of the mixed sound signal.

  Further, the delayed singing signal is generated by delaying the parent singing signal by ½ of the transmission delay time, but the delay time can be appropriately determined within the range of the transmission delay time. And it does not need to be a fixed value regarding the delay time of the parent singing sound. For example, the delay width of the parent singing sound may be gradually increased from the start of the utterance of the parent singing sound (for example, singing start timing). If comprised in this way, although the shift | offset | difference of a sound is conspicuous at the time of the start of utterance, the shift | offset | difference in the auditory sense of each song sound can be suppressed by a natural feeling after that.

  Further, in this embodiment, the speaker 22 'for singers is provided, but the speaker 22' for singers can be omitted.

  The above is to delay the parent singing sound, thereby reducing the difference in delay time from the child singing sound and to make the difference between them inconspicuous. As shown in FIG. 4, the difference between the two may be made inconspicuous by adding different reverberation components (echo components) to the parent singing sound and the child singing sound, respectively.

  In this modification, the main karaoke main body 21A (main body side control unit 31) functions as first reverberation component adding means, and the sub karaoke main body 21B (main body side control unit 31) functions as second reverberation component adding means. . For example, the parent side karaoke main body 21A adds a reverberation component to the parent side singing signal, and the child side karaoke main body 21B adds a reverberation component to the child side singing signal. In normal karaoke performances, the singer sets his preferred echo (adds reverberation component) or uses the recommended settings. In this variation, by adding different reverberation components at both locations, It has a feature that the transmission delay of the child-side song in the karaoke room RM (parent) is less noticeable. For example, according to the transmission delay time of the first dedicated transmission line 4B, the child side karaoke main body 21B (main body side control unit 31) sets the initial reflection time for controlling the reverberation component shorter than usual. Alternatively, the initial reflection time is set longer than usual in the parent side karaoke main body 21A (main body side control unit 31).

  In addition to adjusting the initial reflection time, the decay time of the reverberation component of the child karaoke main body 21B is adjusted to be shorter than the decay time of the reverberation component of the parent karaoke main body 21A. Other parameters may be set as parameters for controlling the reverberation component, such as setting the volume level of the reverberation component to be smaller and shorter than the volume level of the reverberation component of the parent karaoke apparatus 21A. The reverberation component is added using the acoustic processing unit 35 of the karaoke main body 21.

  The parent-side singing signal and the child-side singing signal whose reverberation components are corrected are input to the parent-side power amplifier 29A. As a result, a relatively long reverberation component is added to the parent singing sound emitted from the parent speaker 22A compared to the child singing sound. Even if the delay of the side singing sound is felt, it becomes difficult to feel the delay due to the difference of the reverberation component in the time zone when the reverberation component is heard thereafter. That is, it is possible to suppress the audible deviation of each singing sound.

  By the way, in each above-mentioned embodiment, communication was performed between 2 A of parent | side karaoke apparatuses, and the child karaoke apparatus 2B. Here, if the mixed sound signal transmitted from the parent karaoke apparatus 2A can be reproduced and the singing voice of the singer can be transmitted to the parent karaoke apparatus 2A as the child singing sound signal, the child karaoke apparatus 2B It does not have to be. Hereinafter, a third embodiment configured from such a viewpoint will be described.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration in the communication karaoke system of the third embodiment. This embodiment has a structural feature in that a smartphone 5 (multifunctional mobile terminal with a communication function) is used instead of the child-side karaoke apparatus 2B. For this reason, the mixed sound signal and the child-side singing sound signal are transmitted between the parent-side karaoke apparatus 2A and the smartphone 5 via the general-purpose transmission line 4A, the base station BTS, the router apparatus RTC, and the like.

  The illustrated smartphone 5 includes a terminal-side control unit 51, a wireless communication unit 52, an audio signal processing unit 53, a microphone unit 54, a speaker unit 55, a display processing unit 56, a display unit 57, and the like. The terminal side control unit 51 is a central part of control in the smartphone 5 and includes a CPU and a memory (not shown).

  The wireless communication unit 52 is a part that is communicably connected to the base station BTS and the router device RTC. The audio signal processing unit 53 is a part that performs various processes related to sound. For example, in response to control from the terminal-side control unit 51, the child-side singing signal generated by the microphone unit 54 is output to the wireless communication unit 52, or the child-side singing signal and the received mixed sound signal are output to the speaker unit. Or output to 55. The display processing unit 56 is a part that performs various processes on the display unit 57. For example, a process for displaying the lyrics telop on the display unit 57 is performed.

  In this communication karaoke system, the location of the smartphone 5 becomes a child base (second base). Then, the mixed sound signal is transmitted via the general-purpose transmission line 4A and the like, and is received by the wireless communication unit 52 (mixed sound signal receiving means). The received mixed sound signal is output to the speaker unit 55 via the audio signal processing unit 53 under the control of the terminal-side control unit 51. Further, the child-side singing signal (second singing signal) generated by the microphone unit 54 (second singing microphone) is also output to the speaker unit 55 via the audio signal processing unit 53. Thereby, the parent side singing sound, the child side singing sound, and the karaoke performance sound are emitted from the speaker unit 55. That is, in the smartphone 5, the terminal-side control unit 51, the audio signal processing unit 53, and the speaker unit 55 correspond to the second reproduction unit.

  Furthermore, the child-side singing signal is transmitted to the parent-side karaoke apparatus 2A through the wireless communication unit 52 (singing signal transmitting means). When the parent-side karaoke main body 21A receives the child-side singing signal, the parent-side singing sound, the child-side singing sound, and the karaoke performance sound are emitted from the parent-side speaker 22A as in the above-described embodiments.

  By the way, it is difficult to store all the lyrics data to be sung in the smartphone 5 because of the storage capacity. In addition, it is difficult to use the terminal-side control unit 51 as a sequence control unit in terms of hardware specifications. Therefore, a light load process for displaying the lyrics telop on the display unit 57 is required.

  In this embodiment, the parent-side karaoke apparatus 2 </ b> A transmits lyrics data (text data) corresponding to the karaoke song to be sung to the smartphone 5 prior to the start of the communication duet. Then, triggered by the start of the communication duet, the parent side karaoke apparatus 2 </ b> A functions as a time code transmission unit, and transmits the time code to the smartphone 5 in time series. The smartphone 5 functions as a time code receiving unit and a lyrics display unit, receives the time code, and changes the display color while updating the lyrics telop according to the received time code.

  Thereby, since the display mode of the lyric display on the smartphone 5 is changed according to the time code transmitted from the parent side karaoke apparatus 2A, the display mode of the lyrics is not required even if the progress status of the karaoke music is not managed by the smartphone 5. Can be appropriately controlled, and the hardware configuration of the smartphone 5 can be simplified.

  In addition, although the smart phone 5 was illustrated in this embodiment, it can be used similarly to the smart phone 5 even if it is the user terminal 3 shown in FIG.

  The above description of the embodiment is for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and the present invention includes equivalents thereof. For example, you may comprise as follows.

  In the above-described embodiment, the method for determining the parent karaoke device 2A and the child karaoke device 2B is not particularly defined. However, it is preferable that the higher-spec model having the higher specifications is the parent karaoke device 2A. In this case, the host device 1 refers to the main body information stored in the host-side storage unit 13 and compares the models, and determines the higher model as the parent-side karaoke device 2A. Thereby, even if it is the karaoke apparatus 2 with inferior specifications (for example, the number of simultaneous pronunciations of karaoke performance is relatively small), it is possible to perform karaoke singing with sound quality equivalent to that of the upper model.

  In addition, although the example in which the connection partner is specified by the telephone number is described for the first dedicated transmission path 4B and the second dedicated transmission path 4C, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. A unique IP address may be allocated to each of the first communication terminal 27 and the second communication terminal 28 and connected based on the IP address.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Host apparatus, 2 ... Karaoke apparatus, 2A ... Parent side karaoke apparatus, 2B ... Child side karaoke apparatus, 3 ... User terminal, 4 ... Transmission path, 4A ... General-purpose transmission path, 4B ... First exclusive transmission path, 4C ... Second dedicated transmission path, 5 ... smartphone, 11 ... host side control unit, 11a ... CPU, 11b ... memory, 12 ... host side communication unit, 13 ... host side storage unit, 21 ... karaoke main unit, 21A ... parent side karaoke main unit , 21B ... child side karaoke main body, 22 ... speaker, 22A ... parent side speaker, 22B ... child side speaker, 22 '... speaker for singers, 23 ... monitor, 23A ... parent side monitor, 23B ... child side monitor, 24 ... Singing microphone, 24A ... parent singing microphone, 24B ... child singing microphone, 25 ... camera with microphone, 25A ... camera with parent microphone, 25B ... camera with parent microphone, 26 ... remote control device 26A ... Parent-side remote control device, 27 ... First communication terminal, 27A ... Parent-side first communication terminal, 27B ... Child-side first communication terminal, 28 ... Second communication terminal, 28A ... Parent-side second communication terminal, 28B ... Child side second communication terminal, 29... Power amplifier, 29A... Parent side power amplifier, 29B... Child side power amplifier, 31... Main body side control unit, 31a ... CPU, 31b ... memory, 32 ... main body side communication unit, 33. Main body side storage unit 34 ... Sound source unit 34a ... CPU 34b ... Memory 34c ... Waveform memory 35 ... Sound processing unit 36 ... Display processing unit 37 ... Video input unit 38 ... Operation unit 51 ... Terminal side Control unit, 52 ... Wireless communication unit, 53 ... Audio signal processing unit, 54 ... Microphone unit, 55 ... Speaker unit, 56 ... Display processing unit, 57 ... Display unit, KB ... Karaoke store, RM ... Karaoke room, RM (parent) )…parent Side karaoke room, RM (child) ... Child side karaoke room, RT ... router device, RTA ... parent side router device, RTB ... child side router device, RTC ... router device, BS ... bus, XA ... parent side video, XB ... Child side video

Claims (8)

A communication karaoke system in which a first base and a second base are communicably connected via a transmission line, and a communication duet is performed between the first base and the second base,
A mixed sound signal obtained by mixing the first singing signal generated by the first singing microphone at the first base and the performance sound signal generated for karaoke performance is sent to the second base through the transmission path. A mixed sound signal transmitting means for transmitting;
Mixed sound signal receiving means for receiving the mixed sound signal at the second site;
Second reproduction means for reproducing the mixed sound corresponding to the received mixed sound signal at the second site;
A singing signal transmitting means for transmitting the second singing signal generated by the second singing microphone in accordance with the reproduction of the mixed sound to the first basing point through the transmission line at the second basin;
Singing signal receiving means for receiving the second singing signal at the first base;
Based on the received second song signal, the first song signal, and the performance sound signal, a second song sound corresponding to the second song signal, a first song sound corresponding to the first song signal, and A communication karaoke system comprising: first reproduction means for reproducing the karaoke performance sound corresponding to the performance sound signal at the first base.   It is installed at the second site, generates the second singing signal, stores lyrics data and performance sound data of karaoke music, and displays the lyrics data in normal karaoke at the second site. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a karaoke main body that controls to reproduce the performance sound data while displaying the lyrics data and not reproducing the performance sound data in the communication duet. The online karaoke system described. Time code transmitting means for transmitting a time code indicating the progress of karaoke singing at the first site to the second site via the transmission path;
Time code receiving means for receiving the time code at the second site;
The communication karaoke system according to claim 2, further comprising lyrics display means for changing a display mode of lyrics based on lyrics data in accordance with the received time code. A delay time measuring means for measuring a delay time required for round-trip communication between the first base and the second base;
2. The online karaoke system according to claim 1, wherein the first reproduction unit delays reproduction of the first singing sound within a range of the measured delay time.   The communication karaoke according to claim 4, further comprising third playback means for playing back the first singing sound without delay for a singer at the first base based on the first singing signal. system.   6. The communication karaoke system according to claim 4, wherein the first reproduction means gradually increases a delay width of the first singing sound from the start of utterance of the first singing sound. A delay time measuring means for measuring a delay time required for round-trip communication between the first base and the second base;
At least a first reverberation component adding means for adjusting the reverberation component of the first singing signal according to the delay time, and a second reverberation component adding means for adjusting the reverberation component of the second singing signal according to the delay time. The communication karaoke system according to claim 1, further comprising reverberation component addition means having one of the two. The adjustment by the reverberation component adding means is
Adjusting the initial reflection time of the reverberation component of the first singing signal to be longer than the initial reflection time of the reverberation component of the second singing signal;
Adjusting the decay time of the reverberation component of the first song signal to be longer than the decay time of the reverberation component of the second song signal;
The communication karaoke system according to claim 7, comprising at least one of adjustment for making a volume level of a reverberation component of the first singing signal larger than a volume level of a reverberation component of the second singing signal.

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